Spring assembly unit



June 12, 1934. c, T, DYER 1,962,436

SPRING ASSEMBLY UNIT Filed Oct. 23, 1931 Patented June 12, 1934 SPRINGASSEMBLY UNIT Clare T. Dyer, Holland, Mich, assignor to Charles KarrCompany, a corporation of Michigan Application October 23, 1931, SerialNo. 570,615

2 Claims.

This invention relates to spring assemblies and more particularly tospring constructions adapted for use in bed mattresses, cushions,upholstered furniture and the like.

One of the object of the invention is the provision of a new andimproved spring assembly having a novel arrangement of springs along oneor more marginal edges of the assembly.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a spring assembly ofspiral springs having a new and improved arrangement of springs forsupporting one or more of the marginal edges of the assembly togetherwith novel means for connecting the springs together.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedspring assembly that is inexpensive to manufacture, 'eiiicient in useand that may be assembled with the minimum amount of labor and time.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appearfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a spring assembly embodiyingthe invention with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. Referring now to thedrawing, the reference character 10 designates a spring assemblycomprising a plurality of spiral springs 11.- These springs may bearranged in any convenient manner and connected together by any suitablemeans. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, they may bearranged in rows, the rows 5 being connected together by the helicals12, as will presently appear. Q

In spring assembliea more or less difficulty has been experienced inproperly supporting the marginal edges or the assembly. The conventionalspiral springs have the diameter of their terminal turns considerablyenlarged and consequently there is considerable distance between thepoints where the terminal coils contact the marginal sides of themattresses or cushions within which the springs are positioned. That is,the sides or end valance members of the mattresses will be tangent tothe curve of the terminal turns and the points of tangency will be atsuch a, distance apart that the fabric will tend to sag between thesepoints.

The present invention seeks to overcome this difilculty by the provisionof an increased number of springs reduced in diameter for supporting oneor more of the marginal edges of the spring assembly. In the form ofconstruction shown, I

which is by way of example only, one of the marginal edges of the springassembly comprises a plurality of cylindrical springs 13 which areconnected together and to the helicals 12.

- The spiral springs 11 may be of any suitable construction. In theconstruction shown, each of the terminal turns or coils 14 of eachspiral has its end terminating in a distorted portion, which may beformed by straightening a section of the end as at 15 in such a mannerthat the same may be embraced by the helical 12 and by forming acorrugation or offset 16 therein which extends around one or more turnsof the helical and forms shoulders 17 and 18 preventing the withdrawalof the distorted end from the helical after it has been threadedthereon. The offsets 16 engage the helicals and also assist inpreventing the rotation of the spirals. Theterminal turn of coil 11 isalso provided on the side opposite the distorted end portion 15 withanother distortion which may be in the form of an offset as shown at 40,about which the helicals are adapted to extend. The shoulders 19 and. 21formed by this offset will assist in preventing the spiral from rotatingwhen the same is used in the assembly.

The terminal turns of the spirals may otherwise be circular, but ifdesired they may each have an offset straight portion-extending atsubstantially a right angle to the endportion 15 for forming a straightmarginal edge at the opposite edge of the assembly from the marginalsprings 13.

The marginal springs 13 are of any suitable form .but preferably theyare helicals, cylindrical in form and preferably unknotted. Eachterminal turn 20 of the springs may be constructed like the terminalturns of the springs 11, that is, the ends are distorted by beingstraightened more or less as at 22 and each distorted portion is furtherdistorted as by being provided with a corrugation or ofiset 23 forforming a recess for receiv: ing one or more of the turns of the helical12 or of the short helicalconnecting member 24, as the case may be. Theopposite side of the terminal turn from the distorted portion 22 is alsodistorted as at 25 which may be in the form 'of an offset similar to theofisets 40 in the springs 11.

Between the two distorted portions 22 and 25, the terminal turn 20 maybe provided with a third distortion- 26 which may be in the form of asubstantially straight section whereby when the assembly is fabricatedthe straight portions 26 of the marginal springs 13 will be in alinementto form a straight marginal edge forthe assembly.

Where the spiral springs 11 are connected together by helicals as in theconstruction shown, the number of marginal springs in the marginal rowis a multiple of that of the spiral springs in an adjacent row wherebythe helicals 12 connecting the rows of spiral springs 11 together willalso connect the marginal springs to the helical springs. In theconstruction shown the number of marginal springs is twice that of theadjacent row of spiral springs. Each alternate spring connection of thehelical springs is efiected by the short helical springs 24. In otherwords, where there are twice as many marginal springs as spiral springsfor a given distance, the main helical connecting springs 1'2 willconstitute the spring connecting means for each alternate connection. Ifthere were three times as many marginal springs as spiral springs for agiven distanoe, the main helicals 12 would constitute the connector forevery third connection and so on.

In assembling the device, the distorted portions of one row of springsare placed over the adjacent distorted portions of an adjacent row ofsprings and the helicals 12 run on in the position shown. The smallhelicals 24 may be applied before or after the helicals 12 are applied.Preferably, they are applied before. The helicals hold the distortedportions in lapped position and not only hold the springs in assembledrelation but prevent their rotation during use.

The marginal springs being close together and being comparatively smallin diameter, they efliciently support the margin of the assembly andwill prevent the mattress or other fabric with which the device is usedfrom sagging between the springs as is the tendency where spiral springsof the conventional size are employed.

While the springs are shown as being connected together by helicals, itis understood that other suitable means may be employed for thispurpose.

Since in the construction shown a single marginal edge only is formed bythe marginal springs 13, it is understood that the other edges of theassembly, or certainof them, may be formed by these marginal springs.

In use, the marginal springs being more numerous than the adjacent rowof interior springs will when the assembly is in use tend to preventobjects placed on the assembly or persons sleeping on mattressescontaining said assemblies from rolling off the mattress.

In any event, the edge of the mattress or cushion or other structuresupported by these marginal springs will be maintained in proper 'largedin diameter and having a straight portion in its enlarged turn, saidstraight portions being in alignment and constituting a marginal edge ofsaid assembly, said last-named row extending transversely to saidfirst-named rows, the terminal turns of said coil springs having offsetportions at opposite sides thereof proided with straight sections, thestraight sections of one spring engaging the straight sections ofadjacent springs, and straight helicals surrounding the engagingportions of said spiral springs and encircling certain of the engagingstraight sections of said coil springs, and short straight helicalsencircling alternate engaging straight portions of said coil springs,whereby said coil springs are connected together and said 1 straightsections constitute a turning axis about which the offset portions arehinged.

2. In a spring assembly, a plurality of spiral springs arranged in rows,a row of coil springs of materially less diameter than said spiralsprings, each of said coil springs having its terminal turn enlarged indiameter and having a straight portion in itsenlarged turn, saidstraight portions being in alignment and constituting a marginal edge ofsaid assembly, said last-named row extending transversely to saidfirst-named rows, the number of said coil springs being greater than,but a multiple of, the number of rows of spiral springs, the terminalturns of said springs each having ofiset portions at opposite sidesthereof provided with straight sections,-the straight sections of onespring engaging the adjacent straight sections of adjacent springs inthe same row, certain of the straight engaging sections of said coilsprings being in alignment connected together and said straight sectionsconstitute a turning axis about which the offset portions are hinged.

CLARE T. DYER.

